Suspended purchase



UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. BROWN, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUSPENDED PURCHASE.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 12,155, dated January 2, 1855.

To @ZZ whom @'25 may concern.'

Be it known that, I, WILLIAM Hoes BROWN, of Erie, in the county of Erie and\ State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Suspended Purchases for Transporting, Raising, Lowering, and Placing Heavy Burdens; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full description thereof.

My improvements are to be chiefly employed in the erection of b-ridges over streams or ravines. They consist in providing a suitable cable stretched across between the banks of the river which cable forms a fixed track over which a suitable carriage or truck traverses, the weight to be lifted and transported being suspended below the truck by means of a series of tackles.

Figure l, in the accompanying drawings represents in vperspective the general uses and application of my improvement in bridge building. Fig. 2, is an enlargedy side elevation of my improved truck, and improved fiXed and movable clutch lblocks, as

applied ready for operation. Fig. 3, is av front view of my improved blocks previous to, and after clutching. Fig. 4, is a view of the same clutched together. Fig. 5, is a view of the same in the act of being detached or uncoupled'. Fig. 6, is a side elevation of my equalizing beams. Fig. 7, is

a perspective view showing the method of combining the strength of more than one suspension cable.

Similar letters of reference indicate-the saine parts.

A, A', suspension towers placed on the opposite banks of the river over which. the bridge is to be built; B, B, B2, B3, suspen- 40 sion cables passing from tower to tower; C,

frame of cable truck; D, main wheel of same; E, E', guide wheels; F, fixed clutch block; Gr, movable clutch block; I-I, lips on fixed block; I-I cross bar of same; I, clutch bars on the movable block; G, J, hinges of the clutch bars; K, connecting rods between cap piece and clutches; K', cappiece; L, guide pin; M, connecting spring between clutch bars; N, O, P, guide blocks; Q, It, S,

equalizing beams; U, U', guide falls; V, guy

chain; WV, metallic groove on the sidek of towers A, A; W', eye bolt, working in the groove; X, friction wheels; Y, stonebinder.

In the construction of bridges across rivers, when piers are to be erected in the stream, the usual method of transporting the stones and other materials, is to employ ioats or boats, and to raise the materials by.

the employment of suitable derricks. Stagings and scafl'folds are also employed. The

various operations of raising, elevating, andl such structures, by .providingv a safe, easy and' rapid means of transporting and depositing the stones and all other materials, without the employment of derricks, or any of the usual scaffold appendages.

In the first' place I erect upon the banks of the river in which the piers are vto vbe built, two towers A, A", composed of wood or any Aother suitable `material `I then throw a suspension cable B, proportionate in size-to thefweight of `.materials to be transported, fromfone tower to the other, the ends of the cable being fastened in the ground in any suitable manner. The cable thus stretched forms` a lfixed track over which my improved truck. passes and repasses in its various errands of transporta* tion. The truck is composed of a frame C, in the central upper part of which, the main wheel D, vis secured. The wheel D, is grooved, and so are the wheels E, E', in order that they may properly fit .the l `surface of the cable over which they pass. Suitable straps extend from the wheel D, to the fixed tackle F, the entire weight of the load to any liability in the wheels of the. latter to slip off the cable.

vWe will now supposezthat it is desired to convey a heavy weightfrom some position near one ofthe towers,.to a point in the middle of the stream where the workmen be moved being intended to be carried are engaged in building Va pier;l The truck fall I, the burden is elevated, being v'raised until the tackle blocks F, G, clutch. The clutch bars I, are attached to the sides of the tackle block G, havingv hinges ,i

J, J. The clutches are held in a closed position by means of la spring 'M, Fig. 3. They are also attached to a movable cap piece K, by means of the connecting rods K. The red lines in Fig. 3, indicate the position of the clutch bars I, in the act of passing the lips H. As the block G, rises, the up'- per ends of the clutch bars I, strike the lips H, and are opened until the slots.in theV incline of the cable in the direction of arrow l. Arrived over the pier, the guide fall U, U', are fastened, which secures the truck. The clutch bars are now detached, and the burden is lowered by slacking the purchase fall T. Y

The clutches are detached by simply pulling upon the purchase fall T, and raising the movable block G, as seen in Fig. 5, which causes the pin L, to pass through the'opening in the cross bar H, and brings the cap' piece K', in contact with the cross piece H', whereby the connecting rods, K, K, arev straightened, and pressed down to a line even with the centers of their j oints which causes them to remain in that position and hold open the clutch bars I, I, clear of the ears H, H, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5.

The clutches are afterwards brought up to' their clutching position by moving up the cap piece K, by hand.

It is obvious that the movement ofthe truck is controlled by the guide falls U, U', to which the requisite force must be applied. When desired, the weight may be raised or lowered at the same time that the truck is moving.

We will suppose the truck to be moving in the direction of arrow 2, and that the purchase fall T, (shown in red lines Fig. 2,) is fastened to the tower A. It is manifest that while the truck proceeds, the weight is also lowered with a speed proportionate to the numberof sheaves in the blocks F, Gr. This plan of lowering the weight during transit to its destination, will be found very convenient where the burden I is to be taken from anA elevated point `and deposited at a distance lower down; see Fig. 1 where the purchase fall T, is fastened to tower A, and the stone Y, is advancing in the direction of arrow, and at the same time descending toward theright pierin the river the angle of descent'being indicated by the dotted lines. In the same manner a weight may be elevated during the progress of the truck by fastening one end of the purchase fall, and pulling the truck awayV from the point where the purchase fall is secured by means of the guide falls. A considerable saving in time is effected by these modes of raising and lowering the burden while in transition.

The guy chain V, is attached between the tackle block F, and arm C, in order to lassist in `retaining the perpendicularity of the block F, with the wheel D, when power is applied to the purchase 'fall T.

l/Vhen it is desired to transport unusually large burdens, more than one suspension cable may be employed, and their strength so combined, as equally to support one burden. For this purpose I employ the equalizing beams Q, R, S, shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 7, four cables are represented as in use, having a truck to each cable. The tackle blocks attached to two of the trucks are fastened to the beam R, and the remaining two, to beam S. The ends of central beam Q., pass through links which rest in the centers of beams R, S, as shown. The burden is attached at Y.

If, from any cause, the cables should not each bear up its due portion of the burden, the inequality will be at once apparent, for the equalizing beams being balanced in their centers, will be thrown out of line. When the weight is equally sustained the equalizing beamswill all be parallel.

`Upon the side of the tower A, a metallic groove W, is attached in which the eye bolt /V, slides, the eye bolt having a chain attachedabo've and below, the upper part of the chain passing over the pulley X, and the lower part passing down to a convenient position 'near the ground, where it passes around a winch. By turning the winch the eye bolt can be raised or lowered as desired, and the guide tackles easily brought into convenient position. The eye bolt W, and guide block P, shackle together as seen in Fig. 2.

After the piers of la bridge have been finished, my apparatus may be then employed in laying the superstructure and all other parts of the bridge. For this purpose, it is admirably adapted, since the trusses and other portions may be deposited in their places with very great rapidity. A glance at the sketchFig. l, will show the great convenience and superiority of my improvement over the common methods of moving the materials used in the construction of similar works.

The expense of my apparatus is small; all the rigging and trucks are portable, and may be carried from one point to another at convenience. The `saving in expense which the use of my improvement affords, over the old methods, is immense. The same catenary which is to be raised or lowered to deliver the burden or weight at any intermediate place between its points of suspension or fastening, as these have been essayed. But

What I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination With a permanentlyv suspended cable, a carriage provided with suitable block and tackle, by which a suspended weight of any kind may be transported to any given point, and then lowered or raised, or by which it may be lowered or raised, as it is transported, at pleasure, substantially as described.

2. I also claim in combination with a suspended cable, a truck or carriage composed of a main wheel D, guide wheels E E', and a flexible frame C, so that the. wheels may adjust themselves to the line of the catenary as f described.

I also claim the automatically coupling and uncoupling of the blocks F, G, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4. I also claim the system of equalizing beams Q, R, S, when combined with two, three, or more cables, for the purpose of evenly distributing the weight upon the saveral cables as set forth.

WM. H. BROWN.

Witnesses:

J. W. COOMB, WM. TrrsoH. 

